


A long time afterwards

by zinabug



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22705177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinabug/pseuds/zinabug
Summary: Keylith will live a long time yet.*big spoilers for the Vox Machina campaign and dalen’s closet one-shot*
Relationships: vax/keylith
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	A long time afterwards

Keylith never cut her hair again. Not since that one night, so long ago, when she sat down in front of that mirror in whitestone castle, dirty and bloodied, and Vax had cut her hair.

each dagger stroke - she could still hear it, watching her scorched hair drift down onto the ground. he had hummed softly, telling her she still looked beautiful. she had looked into the mirror, at her ash-darkened face, at the tear tracks in the dust and blood, and smiled at him in the refection.

when it was clean and dry, still short -he had told her he liked it better like that, and she agreed- he had done little braids in it, weaving in feathers and beads like his and Vex’s. when the days were full of sun, and she thought, hoped, even prayed to gods she did not believe in, that this was the end, that she could live the rest of her time out here. she dreamed of them getting married, of her white dress and mantle, and his smile. she dreamed of small children with pointed ears and dark hair.

but it would never last, something in her head whispered.

her hair was longer again now, and fell in her face as she held a handful of ashes that had once been Vax. I need diamonds- need a way to get him back- we need the spell… They had been trying desperately to save him when he had come walking out from the trees. she had helped weave the beads and feathers back in his hair.

They stood before gods. his face was paler, his skin cold and heartbeat slow, and he had more feathers in his hair. as every day passed, Keylith felt time slow down around her, and knew she was trapped in a long, painful, prison. she held his hand in Pelor’s home, and it was cold. when she saw Percy, her best friend, profess his love for Vex and tell the god they… had been married.

it was her turn to have cold hands, knowing, knowing she would watch their love and future unfold, watch them have a love and life and family, as hers was tugged away from her forever. she would live long enough to meet their great-great grandchildren, watching dark haired children that were not her own.

and they were at the close.

Chapter one-

the beginning of an end.

he had his arms around her, tangled in her still-short hair. he smelled like blood, and leather, and a warm dusty room with a hint of lavender. she had given him those lavender plants, to store with his armor to make it smell better.

snowdrops and raven feathers and then nothing.

her hair got longer. Kashaw and Zarah had a son, Vex and Percy had a daughter. the pair were going to be properly married. Keylith needed it to be perfect, because she would never have her own wedding. there was raven feathers on her dress, a dress she never wore.

they had so much to live for. Vex, dead under the waves in her wedding dress. Percy, crying out for help as a enemy that should have been long dead stood over them.

but then, there was a battle, and a ceremony- and…

she had seen Vax again. Scanlan, someone who should never had been trusted with Wish in the first place, had brought him back, if only for a moment. 

it wasn’t the same. he was a different person, someone she didn’t know. He ran his fingers through her hair, and smiled, looking at her but not really. everything was dark and the Raven Queen watched and he was distant.

it all worked out in the end, with Sylas Briarwood dead again, and the pair married. Grog laughing his way back to the beach - people had come from far and wide to see the two married, only to find that they eloped. again.

she would have been laughing with them, but there was nothing but tears of exhaustion- with the long, endless, life she would live, and loneliness, and loss.

at least Vesper hadn’t been at the practice.

the years went on and on, forever. her hair grew longer and longer, and she braided raven feathers into it.

Grog passed first, getting into a battle beyond even him. she helped build a monument of stone for him, and planted a tree in the garden of greyskull keep. she braided leather into her hair, and large grey beads made of iron.

Keylith’s hair was past her waist when Percy died, peacefully, in his workshop. she put strips of blue cloth into the braids, and wrapped them around with wire. Another tree was planted in the garden. she still looked the same as the day when Vax had been taken from her.

she was still so young when Vex’s hair was all white, and she was buried with three feathers in her hands - two blue and one black. the graves on the lord and lady of whitestone were beautiful, surrounded by snowdrops. her garden in greyskull keep was growing, as a tree was planted next to Percy’s. she added blue feathers to the black ones already woven into her hair.

her hair had streaks of grey in it when scanlan died, and reached to past her feet. she sat, and Derrig’s great-great-great grandson helped her put it in an elaborate style to keep it off the ground. she added a fine gold chain with purple gems, wrapping it around one of the antlers on her headdress. A great monument was build, and another tree was planted in the garden, now wild and overgrown. Ivy vines stretched up the side of greyskull keep, and moss grew on the shaded stones.

her hair trailed behind her, grey streaked, when Pike died. the two had been lonely together, sitting with tea and talking of the past. Pike’s hair had been white since before Vax had died, but her hands shook and her skin was wrinkled. she was buried in her golden armor, and a golden statue was built. the last tree was planted in the garden, and Keylith added a gold chain with sapphires to the other antler.

she was alone for a long time. there was people all around her, other adventurers who came to her for aid, other quests she took, but slowly more grey showed in her hair, then white, as her body weakened.

Keylith stood on the edge of the cliffs outside of Vesrah, leaning heavily on her staff. her hair blew behind her, loose and wild as she walked, slowly, to the edge of the cliff.

the voice of the tempest never hit the rocks below, but instead a white raven spiraled into the sky, leaving behind a trail of feathers.

Keylith of the air Ashari was never seen again.

Two ravens built a nest in the sun tree then next spring - one black, one white. snowdrops were woven into their nest, and the two were there for many years before flying into the sky, together.

**Author's Note:**

> y'all I just wanted to write something sad.
> 
> you can find me on tumblr at two-am-art


End file.
